Purpose: Switch your currently installed Autodesk Software over from a Multi-User (a.k.a. Network) installation to a Single-User (a.k.a. Named User) license installation.
There are a few steps to this process, and each one must be done to ensure a smooth transition on the user’s machines:
1. You need to add Users and assign software licenses to each user in the Autodesk account/manage website so they can obtain a license and use the software.
Single-User licensing is much different than even the old Standalone licensing. The Contract Manager, Software Coordinator, Primary Admin or Secondary Admin must add the users into the Autodesk Management portal and then assign the product(s) to the user.
Contract Managers (and Primary/Secondary Admins)
Add users into the User Management section and assign users a license. See the Additional Links section at the end on how to change admin roles. This link will provide detailed instructions on how to invite users and assign users under User Management. https://blogs.rand.com/support/2020/06/assign-single-user-products-in-autodesk-account.html
Important Note: All Named-user licenses are activated and tied to the user’s Autodesk Account, which is tied to the user's email address and the password they have selected. You cannot use the same email address for multiple users, so each user must have a unique email address.
2. Users must then verify the product(s) assigned to them are visible in “All Products and Services."
Once the User is assigned, have the user go to https://manage.autodesk.com and log in with their email address and use their existing password. Normally, the user will get an email from Autodesk (if it's a new account), and they will need to complete the account creation steps in the link that Autodesk sends. Once in their account, have them verify they can see the assigned software before trying to run and “sign in”.
3. Change the client machines existing software over from Multi-User/Network to Single-User licenses.
There are two possible Multi-User license workflows on the client machines that need their
licensing changed:
a. You downloaded the individual software components and installed each software package separately. This will be the easiest to change over.
i. Launch each Autodesk program installed that needs to be changed to a Single-User license.
ii. In the upper right corner click the dropdown and select “Manage License”.
iii. Then Click on “Change License Type” (in blue)
iiii. Once clicked you should be presented with one of the following screens. Select “Sign In” or Single User to launch the licensing sign in and have them enter their email address and Autodesk Password to re-activate the software as a Named User. Depending on the version you are changing the dialogs may be different, just follow the prompts.
or
b. You installed your software from a Suite download (i.e. Building Design Suite Premium).
You have two options:
i. Uninstall, reboot, and install from a non-suite download. On each machine with the older Suites, you will need to uninstall each base product that is being replaced. Review this blog and look at the bonus section at the end.
ii. Get one machine up and running using uninstall/reinstall and then use our blog to reinstall the products taken off, and reactivate using the sign in process outlined above. This step is REQUIRED since the product keys for the software are fixed in the ProductInformation.pit file and cannot be changed after activation. You must uninstall the products, so you can go back through the activation and put in the correct product key when re-activating, or see next step.
If you do not want to uninstall and reinstall everything on each machine, there is another option.
If you feel the need to update your current installs to the new Subscription, here is the process to follow:
- Install the Collection Software on a machine that does not have the Suite already installed. Generally, Install the same products you have installed already as part of the Suite.
a. You MUST install and activate each product and product year you are replacing in the Suite
b. If you do not install and activate all products and all years, then you will have to uninstall and
re-install the products you missed
i. For example, if you miss AutoCAD 2017, and try to run it after you replace the ProductInformation.pit file, it will fail to run and give you an error. - Activate the Software with the License from the Collection on that machine
- Look for ProductInformation.pit file that is created in this folder: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\AdLM.
- Make a copy the ProductInformation.pit file and save it to a location you can access later
(USB stick or Network Drive) - Go to a machine that currently has the old Suite installed and navigate to the folder:
C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\AdLM - Rename Old License Machine ProductInformation.pit file (so you have it available to restore easily
in case new .pit file does not work). - Copy the saved ProductInformation.pit file from Step 4 into this directory
- Open Autodesk Product and follow the activation screen and input the new Serial number
and Product Key
Please note: the process below will only work for 2018 and newer Suites, any 2016 and older suites will have to be uninstalled and reinstalled, due to the fact that Licensing information was encrypted and stored on the machine at the time of installation. If the suite product key was used to install the applications, the stored key would not allow for a Collections activation. The only solution is to uninstall and reinstall the products.
Contact Us
There are many situations that can occur that would cause a problem with your Autodesk download, install, and activation. Our team can assist with any troubles you may experience.
Solutions Center: P: 888-528-4765 E: support@rand.com
- Autodesk software issues
- Autodesk installation issues
- System/software compatibility
- All ProductivityNOW service issues
Customer Advocates: P: 800-706-1000 E: customeradvocacy@rand.com
- Register users for ProductivityNOW client portal
- Autodesk Accounts website overview and issues
- Assigning and generating licenses
- Overview user set up
- Overview Downloads
Additional Links
The following links address a variety of common questions or concerns related to getting started with your Autodesk software.
- How to change the Contract Manager or Admin roles in for your Autodesk contracts:
- How to manage users in Autodesk Teams.
https://blogs.rand.com/support/2020/06/manage-users-in-teams-in-autodesk-account.htm
- Which URL’s and protocols should be accessible for subscription licensing: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/What-URLs-protocols-should-be-accessible-for-Desktop-Subscription-to-work.html
- IMAGINiT Utilities: IMAGINiT technologies offers proprietary utilities to enhance your Autodesk applications. Request using the following link. https://www.imaginit.com/Support/utilities-request
- Installing Autodesk Products in a Citrix environment
- Virtual installation guidelines
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/download-install/install-software/virtual-installation - Autodesk Health Dashboard: If you are having trouble with an Autodesk cloud service then you can check the Autodesk Health Dashboard to see if there is an outage impacting your service.
Disclaimer: Autodesk is continuously improving and updating their website and programs. The screen shots included in this document may not exactly match what you see but will still give you an idea of what needs to be done.
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